Renormalization of Vacuum Energy

AUTHOR(S)

Epstein, Kenneth J.

PUB. DATE

June 2007

SOURCE

Physics Essays;Jun2007, Vol. 20 Issue 2, p334

SOURCE TYPE

Academic Journal

DOC. TYPE

Article

ABSTRACT

The absurdly large vacuum energy density Ïv predicted by quantum field theory is reduced by a negative cosmological constant Î› < 0 to a renormalized vacuum energy Ïv' â‰¡ Ïv + Î›/(8 Ï€), which can be positive or negative. Three inflation eras, due to three symmetry breakings, are explained by large positive values of Ïv'. The big bang is explained as a singularly inflationary symmetry breaking that ended the Planck era and began the grand unified era. Accelerating expansion in the present era is explained by a small intergalactic Ïv' > 0 interpreted as dark energy. It is then shown how intragalactic Ïv' < 0 can simulate dark matter by creating a generalized Schwarzschild--anti-de Sitter metric with a gravitational harmonic oscillator potential that Newtonian physics attributes to a uniform halo of dark matter.

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